I hadn’t consciously given up fishing, it was just that I didn’t go! It was thanks to a Christmas Present that I got the itch again and finally went! The present was a book, “How We Fish” by Paul Whitehouse and John Bailey. John who? I hear you ask. Well, he is the guy who does all the work behind the scenes for the TV series “Gone Fishing” and is a consummate angler. I don’t think much of the TV programme as a fishing show but the book is fascinating, giving lots of details of the guys fishing lives and how they set up for the programme and is full of anecdotes. It got me in the mood again and I was waiting for a milder and drier day so I could get back to the river that I fished last summer and see how it was.
Anyway, back to the swim to set up and I decided to trot maggots at a depth of about eighteen inches and see what happened. The river was quite clear and I could see the bottom in places but not in my swim, which had a bit of depth. First cast and the float bobbed and I had caught a little roach. I swung him to hand and quickly unhooked him and popped him back. Second cast and another roach, this continued for a while until I got something a bit bigger, as I reeled it in I could see a nice perch of a pound or so which put me in a bit of a dilemma, should I swing him to hand or use the net? The bank was quite steep and high and I was fishing with very light gear so thought that I had better play safe and use the net, the only problem was that I had left it behind me and it was out of reach. Putting the rod down I made a dash for the net and returned to the rod to find that the fish had slipped the hook and made off, so much for barbless hooks! That will learn me, get everything ready and to hand before I start fishing in future. Of course, I already knew that but didn’t do it on this occasion for some reason. I consoled myself with the thought that the fish had got away safely which was better than breaking the line as I swung it in and leaving the hook in its mouth.
Not surprisingly the swim went quiet after this and so I picked up my gear and walked upriver where I found a swim that I didn’t even know existed as it was so overgrown in the summer. Someone had been working on it quite recently as there were newly cut tree branches on the bank which proved very helpful in reaching my float when it got tangled in the vegetation! I was soon fishing again and some more small roach until I decided to change bait to a worm that I had found in the garden with the result that I caught some more small roach! I had brought my feeder rod and decided to give this a try with some bread crust but didn’t have any luck so decided to move again. As I walked upstream I came across a dam of trees, branches and debris which was keeping the water back and making a deeper swim upstream where I decided to give it a go. It was another swim that was inaccessible in the summer although it was only a few yards from where I was fishing last summer.
The swim was on a tight bend with some fast-flowing water and some slacks and I soon had another little roach on the bank. Then life began to get more interesting as I caught a couple of dace and chub instead. Time was getting on and the weather was getting duller and colder so when I caught the hook in a branch I decided to pack up and go home rather than tackle up again. This was when I found that the feeder rod wouldn’t come apart. It has been stiff before but I have always managed to do it but not this time. Fortunately, at ten feet long I know that I can fit it in my car and so it wasn’t a big problem.
So, what had I learnt? That the river is quite different in the winter and much more accessible. As long as it is not in flood it is easier to fish as I could get to swims that I didn’t even know were there and could trot a float down much more easily than in the summer as the weed wasn’t there. I had enjoyed being out in nature and had walked past a group of snowdrops in bloom and seen a kingfisher as it darted past and then came back for an encore a few minutes later. I really envy those anglers who get photos of them sitting still as all I get is the quickest of glimpses as the flash by. They are beautiful birds and I don’t mind sharing the fish with them. I had enjoyed myself even though I had only caught nippers and have promised myself that I will go again soon, all I need is a nice day and yes, I do know that I am a wimp!
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